Coral Bay Sanddunes and Milky Way Pano

[iceman]

These were captured at Coral Bay during 1 of my only 2 nightscape sessions while over at WA!

It's a 23-image pano (2 rows by about 12 across in portrait orientation), with the 6D, 14-24 @ 14mm (I think), 20s f/2.8, ISO6400.

The first version is the full pano, with the LMC and SMC, and M31 squeezed in right on the edges. They were a happy accident rather than intentional, but I wish I'd taken a few more on the edges so they weren't so cramped. But it is nice to have 4 galaxies in the shot.

The second version is a simple crop from the first. I prefer that the Milky Way is more front and centre in this one, and it just feels more balanced.

- Large 1 (http://www.mikesalway.com.au/download/513)
- Large 2 (http://www.mikesalway.com.au/download/514)

I'm really happy with the image and glad to have something new to show!

Feedback or comments welcome.

[gregbradley]

Really nice Mike. I agree I prefer the 2nd one slightly better - as you say slightly better balanced. Was that the Nikon 14-24mm you used?

How did you pick up the sand dunes - was there a moon?

Greg.

[mbaddah]

Great shots Mike! Well done.

[Rod771]

They're both very nice Mike!

The second one is very well balanced but I quite like a shot that has lots of astronomical goodies, as in the first.

I love how Venus is sitting just above the horizon.

Well done :thumbsup:

[rogerg]

nice mike :)

I wonder with my pano's about the variation of brightness and colour, in wide vertical bars across the image. I haven't yet decided if they are a processing artifact of the pano stitching or legit. The extra light around Venus is obviously legit, but going down and up in brightness as moving right of venus? I'm not sure.

[RB]

Oh that's awesome mate !!!
Lovely work.

:thumbsup:

[Larryp]

Beautiful photo, Mike. I prefer the crop, too

[Jay-qu]

Wow, truly a beautiful shot..

[naskies]

Beautiful, Mike! I prefer the second crop too.

[Antu]

Nice composition, Mike ! My only suggestion would be regarding the colors. In current representation there is too much red, in my opinion :rolleyes: Looks like flaming skies ;)

[Octane]

Torn between the two. I like the one without the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds as it is balanced, but, then, you miss out on those goodies in the crop!



I resolve this by using Peripheral Illumination Correction via DPP. I play with the slider (the value will be different for each focal length you shoot at as the vignetting is a function of both the aperture and of the focal length) until the corners of the image are as bright as the centre. Then, off to Autopano Giga and it stitches seamlessly. :)

H

[iceman]

Thanks Greg, appreciate the feedback.
Yeh it was the Nikon 14-24mm. I think I was at 14mm, but can never tell because the EXIF data doesn't come through on the Canon.

I was surprised at the amount of light on the sand dunes, but there was no Moon. I think it was either natural illumination (star light?) or enough residual non-direct light around to allow them to be picked up. Of course ISO6400 with the 6D and 20s exposures certainly help capture whatever light there was.



Thanks for the feedback!




Thanks Rod - I tend to agree with both points. As a pano, you want lots of interest and the first one has that. But as a standalone shot, the second one feels better.

I was rushing to capture Venus before it set :)



Yeh I think you're right - I think it's a combination of both sometimes, but often it's probably the vignetting as H has said below. I applied the lens profile for the Nikon but it mustn't have been a completely flat field, so when stitched it highlights the differences.


Thanks RB!


Thanks Larry.


Many thanks! :)


Thanks mate, appreciate the feedback.


Thanks Yuri - I need to re-balance the colour. After looking at it on my work laptop today it was way too magenta, but I thought it looked right on my home laptop. Will need to play a bit more.


Thanks for the feedback, H!

[iceman]

I've (hopefully) fixed the colour balance now, with less red/magenta.

Hope these are better?

Updated large versions are on the same links as above.

[gregbradley]

I like those better. Does WA have more dust in the atmosphere? WA images often look redder and dustier than other states images of the MW.

Greg.

[rogerg]

It's just me Greg, once you get within 1000km of Roger Groom your nightscapes start looking strangely red biased :lol: .... Mike came too close and look what happened :lol:

[iceman]

Rofl!